Both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store are home to an overwhelming variety of apps and games. Some can be downloaded at no cost, while others require a bit of spending to unlock their full experience.

What many people don’t realize, though, is that some paid apps occasionally drop their price tags and become free for a short window. We’ve gone through both app stores to highlight several standout apps that you can grab right now without spending a cent!

Free Premium Apps and Games (Android)

• Dungeon Shooter: Dark Temple ($2.99) – A first person shooter on your mobile, where you go around picking up loot while shooting all kinds of monsters that stand in your way. Bloodthirsty much? Yes, but it is fun! (4.3 stars, 28.3k reviews)
• Bright LED Flashlight Pro ($2.99) – I am very well aware that we did mention how a flashlight app should not be interested in your location and other kinds of personal data, so perhaps this is one of the better and safer options out there considering its popularity. (4.4 stars, 492 reviews)
• Image Resizer ($2.99) – Want to change the size of images on your phone? Well, we are happy to report that there’s an app for that, and you do not need to purchase a brand new laptop or desktop machine to do so. (4.6 stars, 134 reviews)
• The Lonely Hacker ($2.99) – Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when it comes to hacking exercises and efforts? Well, this game throws you right into the deep end as you indulge in the world of cybercrime and hacking. Oh yeah, wearing a hoodie while playing this game is optional. (4.3 stars, 18.1k reviews)

Free Premium Apps and Games (iOS)

• Duck Life 6 Space ($2.99) – A duck’s life is not just all about swimming in a pond and enjoying a serene life. An alien duck has stolen your crown, and you would not let something as trifling as space get in your way of chasing the alien duck down to regain your hard-earned crown. (4.7 stars, 556 reviews)
• Resting Heart Rate Tracker ($1.99) – One’s cardiovascular health can be ‘determined’ by various readings and metrics, including one’s resting heart rate. Why not let this app do all the hard work by collating important information from your Apple Watch and come up with a report? (4.7 stars, 26 reviews)
• Multi-List Timer ($0.29) – Just about every smartphone has a built-in timer app, but if you want something different, juggling many different tasks at once, you might just want to look out for a more versatile timer app like this. (4.6 stars, 12 reviews)
• Colorzzle ($0.99) – This is an award-winning game that works on a very simple premise — when you match the same color, flowers will bloom in addition to trees growing. You can clear each stage by making sure all the flowers bloom and trees grow completely. (5.0 stars, 29 reviews)

Free apps with traps: What you need to look out for

All the apps we present here were available for free at the time the article was published. Unfortunately, developers often do not specify how long these offers last. So if you like an app, you shouldn’t wait too long and download it quickly.

However, before you download a free app, always take a look at the app page in the store. Sometimes there are hidden stumbling blocks that you should be aware of.

In-app purchases and advertising

Most free apps either contain advertising or offer in-app purchases. However, this is also true of some paid apps. Especially when it comes to a game that is intended for children, it is important to pay necessary attention to such aspects.

App permissions

Many apps do collect user data and often sell it to third parties. So if you want to be on the safe side, make sure that you only grant the permissions that the app really needs. An alarm clock, for example, does not need access to your cameras or contacts, and a flashlight should not be interested in your location data either.